Mop bucket systems are commonly used for cleaning purposes. A mop bucket contains liquid used for cleaning. It is typically used to facilitate the mopping of floors.
The use of a mop to clean floors is an age-old method still practiced extensively because it is effective. A typical mop has an elongated handle with a mop head attached to one end. The mop head is formed of strands of moisture adsorbent material, which can be natural or man-made. A mop is generally used with a bucket of water to both wet and rinse the mop head after use. The normal method of using a mop is to wet the mop head in the bucket of water, wring out the mop head by hand and then push the mop head over the floor surface to remove dirt or pick up excess moisture. Once the mop head has been pushed over a certain area of floor, the mop head is placed in the bucket of water to rinse out the dirt and soil removed from the floor. The mop head is then wrung out to remove excess moisture and the process is repeated until the water in the bucket becomes too dirty and must be changed. However, there are certain disadvantages inherent in a simple mop and bucket. Among these are difficulties in wringing and cleaning the mop by hand to remove liquid and dirt so that the mop is as clean as possible when used on the floor. Another problem is what to do with the mop while the water in the bucket is being changed. It is not advisable to simply lay the mop on the floor. Dumping a large bucket of water can also be a problem simply because of the weight.
While the mop and bucket system as described above only discusses the use of water in the bucket, it is well known that warm or hot water will clean better than simple cold water. Likewise, it is common to add chemical solutions to assist in cleaning or whatever the desired effect might be. For example, wax stripper might be needed to clean wax build up, or a disinfectant might be needed in a health care facility. Such chemical solutions would usually be provided in individual containers and manually mixed in the bucket.
Mop bucket systems are commonly used for cleaning purposes. A mop bucket contains liquid used for cleaning. It is typically used to facilitate the mopping of floors.
With a conventional mop bucket, cleaning liquid may spill or splash during use. For example, often the mop bucket and cleaning liquid must be moved from one location to another. During this movement, the mop bucket will be subjected to differing Newtonian forces. The mop bucket will experience a starting force as it is initially accelerated toward the next location and will experience a stopping force when it reaches that location and is decelerated. Also, while the bucket is being moved, it may experience instantaneous turbulent forces at the interface between the liquid and air, sometimes called wave amplification or ripples. The changing forces on the mop bucket will cause the cleaning liquid to be displaced relative to the mop bucket. The displacement of the cleaning liquid can result in the formation of a wave that splashes over the top of a wall of the mop bucket and out onto a floor or stairway. Also, the amplification of these waves due to the high degree of turbulence may also cause splashing and liquid droplets to exit the mop bucket. Spillage of the cleaning liquid is problematic. For example, cleaning liquid that has spilled out of the mop bucket onto a floor or stairway create a slip-and-fall hazard if not immediately removed. Even if the liquid is immediately removed, non-productive man hours are required to clean the spill. Spillage also is inefficient and undesirable because it can result in the loss of cleaning liquid.
It would be desirable to have a mop bucket system that reduces the spillage of cleaning liquid.